The Nigeria Football Federation has applauded the Super Eagles’ 2-0 win over Liberia in Monrovia on Wednesday and has also charged the team to maintain the ‘can do’ momentum ahead of the 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda at the end of the month.
First half goals by striker Sunday Mbah earned the home boys the win against the Lone Star at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium in Monrovia on Wednesday evening.
NFF”s General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, said the home boys must keep improving and should be able to give the foreign-based players good battle for shirts ahead of the crucial engagement against the Wasps at the Amahoro Stadium on February 29.
Amadu said: “The win was a good one and also showed clearly that the NFF and Coach Stephen Keshi have not simply been wasting time with the home based-players’ residential camping.
“We are happy with the result, following from the team’s 0-0 draw with the ‘A’ team of Angola in a friendly match in Abuja on January 11.
“Now, we know we have a squad to call on anytime there is a match.
“And that gives one some sense of satisfaction.
“We are not saying theforeign-based are not important. They are.
“But it is gratifying to know there are some guys here who would always give them good competition for shirts.”
Speaking on Wednesday’s FIFA Ranking, which placed Nigeria in eighth position in Africa and 56th in the world, Amadu said it was expected.
He said: “We knew that we would drop in the ranking because we did not go to the African Cup of Nations. You can see that we were even placed ahead of some countries that were at the Nations Cup finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
“Having said that, the Nigeria Football Federation wishes to assure Nigerians that from now on, our country would only move upwards on the FIFA Ranking. And in leaps and bounds,”